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Living one day at a time

The angel was given to me by the family of a dear friends of mine who passed away this year. No sooner did the angel come into my possession than her wing broke off. At first I was devastated, this was part of Phil and Norma’s collection that had been gifted to me, and I remember well the years they had collected these figurines, especially the angels that played horn. But, as I reflected on the broken wing it occurred to me that we all have brokenness in one way or another. Maybe this broken wing was a reflection of who we all are as created beings. Do angels get broken wings?

I cannot answer if angels get their wings broken, but I do know that we humans know brokenness. Humans have brokenness all around us. These days it seems that everywhere we turn we have hurt or loss or health issues or unwanted changed situations. Change is hard, brokenness is hard.

And yet, we also know that even in the midst of brokenness and broken wings, we can look to the God who created us who says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19) Even now while we are in these 12 days of Christmas we remember the light of Jesus Christ that has come into the darkness, and “the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

For me, this broken wing has become a symbol of hope in the darkness. This has become a symbol to remind me that God cares for all of the created order of the universe; humans, angels, those who have gone before us, and the earth and all that is in it. God cares for us in the midst of our brokenness, loss and changed situations.

God cares for you too. There might be hurt, there might be a broken wing or two, but God still empowers us to fly in new and unexpected ways.

As we look towards the new year, may you be able to see hope in a new ways in spite of broken wings, and remember that God has new ways of teaching us how to fly.

Courageous living is a learned art. The opposite of courage is fear. Fear stops us in our tracks. Fear can prevent us from going forward, fear can literally prevent us from being all that God created us to be. How do we overcome fear and learn to live courageously?

Walking the Camino de Santiago has helped many people face their fears head-on. It has empowered people with courage when they were filled with fear of the unknown. Just taking the “steps” to walk the Camino is in and of itself a huge leap in overcoming fear. The potential fears one faces are too numerous to list: Fear of not being physically able to do the walk, fear of meeting people, fear of not meeting people, fear of the mountains, fear of what is around the corner, fear of not speaking the language, fear of not finding a nearby restroom, fear of not finding a place to sleep, fear of not being able to sleep in a crowded room, fear of sharing too much, fear of sharing too little. The list is exhausting.

We see so many parallels in our daily lives of the fears that we might also face. Yet, when we look at the list, we are reminded that fear in and of itself is something that can be conquered. It is not conquered by our own might, but rather it is conquered by the power of the Holy Spirit working and and through us, and moving forward with the help of God by our side, into courageous living.

Walking the Camino takes courage, and it empowers us to face that which is unknown–because we are practicing facing the unknown with every step. It is often the future of the unknown that grips us in fear. Getting up every day and walking into the unknown is one way of moving forward even in the midst of uncertainty. It is a way we have of letting everything else go, and trusting that God can care for the rest, while we put one foot in front of the other.

Daily life also gives us opportunities to walk into the unknown. How can we, too, put one foot in front of the other in moving forward? The reality is that every day, no matter how routine it might seem, has us facing the unknown. Today is different than the next day will be. We do not know what will be around the corner, but we do know that God promises to walk with us.

Here are some steps that can be helpful in letting go of our fear, worries and anxieties of the unknown:

Name your fear, anxiety or worry. Acknowledge it before God.

Self-awareness. What are you saying to yourself about this fear? How can you change your own self-chatter.

What are others saying about your fear, how can you block them out or take a different path from the nay-Sayers?

Trust that God is faithful to God’s promises of never leaving us, of walking with us, and of a future that we cannot see.

Maybe you will not be walking the Camino in the near future, but where can you walk or sit and meditate on these things? God empowers us through the Holy Spirit to put one foot in front of the other to move into a new future, a new possibility, a new paradigm and overcome our fears and past hurts.

We are in the book of Job in our read through the Bible series. Job is perhaps one of the most difficult books of the Bible to understand. The reason for this is that Job is trying to figure out how God’s justice works in the world. Job and his friends are trying to make sense of the suffering in the world. Humans have tried to make sense of suffering since the beginning of time. If you have not watched the video on Job, check it out here.

Meanwhile, what do we make of Job? For years there has been an adage of being as “patient as Job,” yet Job is anything but patient. His friends do one great thing for him: For the first week, they sit with him and wait, saying nothing. Then Jobs friends try to tell him he is in the wrong, they argue and contest his innocence.

My favorite part of this powerful book is when God answers Job out of the whirlwind. Beginning in chapter 38 God responds to Job’s accusations against God saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know?”

Like Job and his friends, I, too, am waiting. I am waiting for next steps. I am waiting to see God’s timing on the birth of my granddaughters. As I wait, I feel helpless. As I wait, I wonder where my patience has gone, after all, it is a fruit of the spirit. As I wait, I watch all of the other responsibilities that I have ebb and flow, while I am in a holding pattern. As I wait, I think of Job. He demanded a response from God as to his plight, and God’s answer is perhaps an answer to us all. “Where were you when I laid out the foundations of the earth?” Can you tell me……

When I read this magnificent poetry I stand in awe, once again, that the God of the universe even cares about me or my waiting. And I think about others in the biblical witness who had to wait for God’s timing….

Sara, Hannah, and Elizabeth all waited to be with child

Simeon and Anna waited to see the salvation of God in the form of baby Jesus

The women waited at the cross of Jesus watching him die

And the disciples waited in the upper room for the Holy Spirit to come….

The list goes on and on……

We all have the opportunity to wait. While we wait, God works on our hearts in new ways, to grow us, and God shows us grace. God uses this waiting to mature us as better disciples, and the Fruit of patience is being cultivated. And those things that we were supposed to be doing, well, God will take care of that too, in new and wonderful ways. So I am growing in grace, and I am waiting; just like Job was waiting.

When have you had the opportunity to wait? How did God offer you unexpected grace in the midst of waiting?

Meanwhile, while you are waiting, keep reading through Job and check out this song “While I am Waiting” by John Waller.

It is no secret that I am a Toby Mac fan. When I first saw this Christian artist in concert, I was not sure that I really enjoyed him, but then I heard him in a talk back session, and I realized that I liked what I heard from his heart. The more I see Toby, the more I like him and appreciate what he is doing to build the Kingdom of God. It is always with great anticipation that I attend his concerts.

His very short testimony of one of his songs speaks to my heart in a new way. I have been enjoying his song entitled “Speak Life,” but during one particular concert he told us the story behind the writing of the song. Toby had read the Raggamuffin Gospel when he was younger. He says he remembers reading Manning’s words, “When you speak to someone you either speak life or you drain life, there are no neutral exchanges.” Hence, the song that Toby wrote was birthed.

I’ve been thinking of this quote for a long time, “There are no neutral exchanges.” What about me and my words? Sure it is easy for me to speak life when I am doing the work of the church, that is easy. But what about when I am running into the grocery store to buy something quickly or as I move about my busy day in the world? When I am doing errands I have a purpose and I move through that purpose quickly. To be blunt and honest, people who are serving who are not on my same page when I am rushing around irritate me.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not mean, I am not impolite; but I don’t speak words of life. I thought these were neutral exchanges. Toby’s words, “There are no neutral exchanges” have been haunting me. I can do better, I can be better. Maybe these exchanges have a divine appointment for me or for someone else. Maybe I am the one to speak life into someone else’s life who is drowning. After all, I know the Good News, and maybe I can speak enough life to allow a person to trust me so that I can share that Good News which is what really matters.

Meanwhile, this week I have been practicing speaking life into the lives of those who would otherwise be “incidental” in my day. They have been wonderful exchanges. I am learning and growing.

How about you? Do you speak life or do you drain life? Are you the one from which someone will remember the conversation or are you the one they wish they will never wait on again? As for me, I am trying to practice new habits.

Thanks Toby, for giving me a new perspective on the way I speak in common everyday exchanges of words.